The Awful Truth
by StrikeMidnight
Summary: Sherlock is hiding something and Mycroft knows what it is.


"Am I wrong?" Sherlock smiled triumphantly at his brother standing across the room.

"Sherlock I am not inclined to validate anything –"

"So I _am_ right. Brilliant. Thank you, Mycroft," Sherlock smiled even wider and opened the newspaper, blocking Mycroft from his view.

"Fine," Mycroft made a face of exasperation, his mouth partially open at the absurdity of his younger brother. Sherlock was brilliant, there was no denying that, but at times he was eerily exact about very deeply hidden details. Almost to the point where Mycroft would consider it suspicious if it were not coming from Sherlock.

"Did you need something else?" Sherlock inquired from behind the paper.

"No," Mycroft slid on his overcoat and gloves, still feeling that something was not quite right. He nodded to John who gave a polite goodbye in return.

"Is he gone?" Sherlock asked, still not putting down the paper that was blocking his face from view.

"Yeah, he's gone," John grumbled. He hated always being in the middle of the Holmes brother's squabbles.

Sherlock leaped up and dashed to his room. "Good! Get dressed, John."

"What? Why?" John spun awkwardly in his chair just in time to see Sherlock's door slam. Sighing loudly he finished his tea and went off to get dressed.

Sherlock and John spent the day all over the city, questioning people, researching, taking pictures of rubbish. None of it made sense to John, but that had stopped bothering him ages ago. They had been at St. Bart's for the last few hours, Sherlock staring into a microscope while John chatted with Molly about daytime television programs. Abruptly, Sherlock was putting on his coat and scarf and heading out of the door. John apologized to Molly and ran after him.

"Okay, Sherlock. What exactly are you working on? That case you were talking to Mycroft about?"

"Yes."

"Oh right. Yeah, he seemed pretty put off by your deductions."

"I didn't expect to be right about everything," Sherlock said in an odd tone. John picked up on the strange note in Sherlock's voice and it dawned on him that he was lying. He stopped walking, trying to come up with a reason that Sherlock would lie to his face about this case.

"Problem?" Sherlock stopped and turned to face John.

"Sherlock, why are you –"

"Hold on," Sherlock held out a hand to signal for John to wait a moment while he took out his phone. A mingled look of shock, anger, and incredulity took over face as he read a text message. John opened his mouth to ask about it, but Sherlock spun around and took off running to the main road.

"Sherlock!" John called out, taking chase and barely making it into the cab that Sherlock had flagged down. He questioned Sherlock the entire ride, but to no avail. He was not speaking a word. The cab pulled up in front of an all too familiar building - The Diogenes Club.

"I see you got my message," Mycroft's melodic voice sounded from the doorway of the building. Sherlock remained silent and followed Mycroft in with his glare affixed on the ground. John was not sure if he was to be following as well, but went along having not been told otherwise. The three men entered into a room in the back of the building. Mycroft closed the doors behind them.

"What is this about?" John couldn't help it, he had gotten used to being left in the dark by Mycroft, but Sherlock's angry silence was something different.

"John I think you should wait outside."

"John don't go anywhere."

"Sherlock, this is not for his ears."

"He stays or we both leave, Mycroft."

Mycroft's eyes became slits as he glared at Sherlock, but he conceded knowing that Sherlock was serious.

"Fine, Sherlock. I know that your impressive little deduction this morning was not a deduction at all."

"Really? Do tell."

"You were validating information that you already had in your possession. Information given to you by James Moriarty."

"What?" the word slipped from John's lips and the brothers turned to look at him. "Why would you take anything from him, Sherlock?"

"Because he is above the law, am I right?" Mycroft searched his brother's face for confirmation. To his utter shock, Sherlock completely dropped the agitated demeanor and smirked as he turned his head to look at his brother.

"You figured this out all by yourself, dear brother? " Sherlock's tone was menacing.

"Figure what? Sherlock, what are you talking about?" John raised his voice as he walked over to the other side of Mycroft so he could look the brothers straight on. Sherlock wore an expression of a cornered animal that had planned to be cornered in the first place and Mycroft… John almost did a double take. Mycroft looked devastated.

"He's working for Moriarty, John."


End file.
